Pipes that are adapted to mate with a plumbing fixture such as a sink or the like typically extend upwardly between building studs, and then project outwardly for connection to the plumbing fixture. The pipes must be securely fixed in place to prevent vertical, lateral and axial movements under the stress of use. The pipes must also be located a predetermined distance apart to precisely align them with the fixture inlets. One prior art means for securing pipes between studs uses a strap with spaced holes of alternating large and small sizes, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,451. This plumbing strap worked well, but it uses a long strip of material so the strap can extend between studs typically spaced from 16-24 inches. Further, the uniform width of the strap is set by the largest hole in the strap to ensure that there is sufficient material between the edge of the hole and the side of the strap, so that the strap is not only long, but wide. There is thus a need for a strap that uses less material.
Further, these straps are typically made by running a narrow coil of metal through dies that punch the holes and advance the metal along the length of the plumbing strap, but it takes time to advance the coil the length of the strap so manufacturing costs and times are increased. There is thus a need for a strap that uses less material and that can be manufactured faster.